absterdam



3'Sheets-Sheet- 1.

lM .A D R E T S B A l 0 M o m TELBGRAPHIG SWITCH.

Patented 1360.28, 1886.

Mhesses:

N PETERS4 PMIULiUWgnphor. Washingkm. ILC,

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Deo. 28

J. ABSTERDAM.

` 'TELBGRAPHIG SWITCH.

(No I'Model.)

(amr l r 746797 e s se s.' www 3 Sheets-#Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

7J.. ABSTERDAM. TBLBGRAPHIG SWITGH.

Patented Deo-.'28, 1886. ;[Wf/'/'Ora joya?? :all ll .llIlvll Il. I I .IIIIIIIIIIlllllllI-lllllll l lAllllllll Illll lllill Illlllllllllll Illlllln ...llll I llllllllxll what different plan, for which the ordinary York, in the county and State of New York,

UNITED STATES E ATENT,

rrrcn.

N. Y., Assienon To' .1ERE/Mme M.

PELTON, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPHIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,996, dated December 28, 1886.

Application Sled March l9. 1885. Renewed October 30, 1886. Serial No. 217,640. (No model.)

T0 all'whom t may concern:

Beit knownthat I, JOHN ABSTERDAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

In the ordinary or Morse system of telegraphy the instruments for `the transmission and reception of dispatches comprise asounder, with or without a relay, a make-and-break key, and a switch combined with the key'and in position to be easily manipulated by the hand of the operator by. which he-works the key. The function of this switch, as is well known, is to make or break the circuit from line to earth in thefollowing manner: When the key is not in use, the switch is turned so as to complete the circuit through or around the key, so that an operator at the other end of the line, by making and breaking the circuit, operates the receivers, relay, or sounder. The switch is turned by the sender of a dispatch to interrupt the circuit, in order that the requisite makes and breaks may be made by the manipulation of his key.

Such switches as have been made orused heretofore are adapted to accomplish simply the purposes above stated; but I have invented a system of telegraphy operated on a someswitches are inadequate. This system cornprises a battery at each end of the line, with similar poles opposed. In operating the line I disconnect the battery at the sending station, and connect the anvil of the senders key with ground, so that by the manipulation of said key the signals are produced by the receivers battery and faithfully reproduced at the sending-station by the relay located thereat. rIhe object of this is. to certify the dispatches withoutre-transmission, it being evident from the' disposition of the batteries that the signals produced by the senders relay are necessarily the same as those produced by the receivers.

The obj ect of my present invention is,'mainly, to provide a switch for readily and easily effecting the breaks and connections in the circuit which this system involves; but inasmuch as the device which I have invented forms a particularly useful and important adjunct to the keys of lway-stati'ons, both for this or the 'ordinary systems of telegraphy, I claim the same in conjunction with telegraph-keys generally, and will now indicate, by reference to the drawings, the features of novelty of the switch and the several uses to which the same may be applied.

Figure l is a diagram of a system containing the two opposed batteries and provided with a way-station. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a terminal key with my improvements combined therewith. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a combined key and switch with the base and bed plate in section. Fig. 4 is a plan of a combined key and switch adapted for a way station.

terminal and way sets ot'instruments connected therewith, and, for convenience, designated Bostom, New York, and Hartford At each terminal station the apparatus consists of a battery, B or O, a relay-sounder or other receiving-instrument, D orE, a key, F or G, and aswitch. Alterpassingthrough thereceiving-instrument the line runs to the metal key and to the lever H of the switch, which is always in metallic contact with the key-lever, either by a special connection or through the metal bed plate upon which the key is supported. From the insulated anvil a extends a metal arm or strip, b,both anvil c and strip bbeing insulated from bed-plate c. fore, the switch-lever is turned into contact with arm b, the line is brought to the anvil and the conditions of the circuit are not affected by the manipulation of the key. The lever H is connected with a disk of insulating material, K, upon which are two metal cross-strips, d e. When the lever is turned, 'this disk is turned with it and the strips d e brought to different positions. but insulated therefrom, are certain stops or points, with which the strips d e are brought into contact during the movement of the disk K. One of these points, f, is connected with the insulated anvil a. Another point, g,is 100 O In Fig. l, A A designate a main line with Connected with the bed-plate c,

connected with the line-pole of battery B, and is located in such position that when one end of strip d rests on point f the other will rest on it. A third point, JL, connected to ground and to the grounded pole of battery B, is placed in such position that the one end of strip e will bear upon it when the other end bears on point f.

The arrangement at each terminal station is the same. Normally both switches are turned so that-like poles of the batteries are to line and opposed.

An operator at Boston to signal to New York turns his switch to the right until the lever H leaves the arm b and strip e bridges points f h. This cuts out battery B, interrupts the line, and connects the anvil ct to ground. By working the key,signals are transmitted by battery C and the relays or receiving-instruments operated in unison.

Without change in the construction of the switch it may be applied to a way-station and there used for various useful purposes with a great saving in time and expense by making proper circuit-connections.

In illustration, suppose the line enters a way-station, Fig. l, at switch k and leaves at switch Z. From k to a point, Z, in the path of Switch Z is a connecting-wire, m, which cuts out entirely the waystation when switch Z iS turned onto point Z. From wire m, however, is a wire, m', through a relay, L, and thence to the key and switch-lever.- The anvil a of the key B is connected with an insulated point,l b', in the path of switch Z, so that if the switch be turned to bring the switch-lever H on the arm Cand switch l turned onto point b, the current passes through the apparatus of the way-station, and all signals that are transmitted over the line work the relay L.

' If the operator at the way-station Hartford wishes to telegraph, say, to Boston, he turns the lever H until it leaves the arm C', andthe strips d e bridge the .points n o and p i", respectively, but keeping the lever H out of contact with an insulated contact, N. In this eondition of things the battery at New York is grounded through a wire, p, (see Fig. 4,) from the point b to the anvil a, thence to the contact N through wire o', thence through wires n', the strips d e', and to the ground.` The anvil being grounded and the circuit from A from the Way-station to either terminal by Boston interrupted, the manipulation of the 'key signalsto Boston by the battery located there. To signal from the waystation to New York, the switch k is turned so as to `interrupt the circuit, and lever Z is turned into contact with stop Z. Lever H isalso brought to a position in which the anvil a is groundedthat is to say, the stops n r are connected with stops o p, respectively, bythe strips d e, but lever H' is'ont of contact with stop N. If the key B be then worked, the battery at New York will be operated and the signals produced by the relay L and the relay at New York. Provision is thus made for signaling means of the battery located at the terminal to which the signals are sent. The instrument is, however, capable of being used in other ways and for other purposes. For example, the terminal batteries may either or both be grounded uatthe Way-station, or the line may be completed through the way-station and interrupted by the manipulation of the key; but these matters will be readily understoodfrom the foregoing description.

At both terminal and way stations I use lightningarresters and storm cut-outs for the protection of the instruments, the manner of connecting them being shown in Fig. 4.

The advantages of this apparatus are, that it simplifies the adjustment or arrangement of theapparatus in a system of the kind described, so that the mannervof operating the instruments is practically the same as that in the ordinary systems. All the necessary shii`ting of contacts is effected by a simple movement ot' a lever.

1. The combination, with a telegraph-key, of acircuit-controlling switch having a lever in electrical connection with the key and adapted to be brought into contact with the insulated anvil'of the same, and having insulated contacts adapted to be moved or` shifted by said lever for the purpose of completing one path through the key on interrupting another.

2'. The combination, with a telegraph-key, of aeircuit-controlling or switch lever in electrical connection with said key and adapted to be brought in contact with the insulated anvil thereof, an insulating plate or support adapted to be moved by said lever and carrying contact-strips, and circuit-terminals arranged in the path of said strips and adapted to be connected thereby in different orders, according to the position of the controllingswitch, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a telegraphke'y, of a circuit-controlling switch, consisting of a lever in electrical connection with the key and arranged to be brought in contact with `the insulated anvil of the key, an insulating plate or disk carried by the lever, and con ductingstrips thereon adapted to complete a IIO circuit from the anvil to the battery, or from the anvil to ground, as-setfforth.

4. The combination, with a bed-plate, an insulated metallic anvil,and pivoted telegraphkey, of a pivoted switch-lever in electrical con; neetion with the key and adapted to be brought into electrical connection with the anvil, an insulating plate or disk that is turned by the lever, conducting-strips secured to the plate, contact terminals or stops, and circuit-connections adapted to be Varied by the conductingstrips, according to the position of the lever, as and for the purpose set forth.

, JOHN ABSTERDAM.

Witnesses:

EwELL A. DICK, -J W. BLANDFORD.

Correction in Leiters Patent No. 354,996.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 354,996, granted December 28, 1886, upon the application of John Absterdam, of New York, New York, for an improvement in Telegraphic Switches,77 was erroneously issued to Jeremiah M. Pelton, as assignee; that the said Letters Patent should have been issued to said John Absterdam, the inventor; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 15th day of March, A. D. 1887.

[SEAL] D.L. HAWKINS,

Aotmg Secretary ofthe Interior.

Countersgned:

R. B. VANGE,

Acting Gmmm'ssioneln of Patents. 

